The problem with official RTP rates
To explain the problem, we first need to list the differences between Lightning Roulette and classic European roulette. We pulled the following information from the game's official paytable:
- In the Lightning version, the RTP value of the straight bet is 97.10% (97.30% in the classic version)
- In the Lightning version, the straight bet (if it is one of the lucky numbers) pays up to 500x (35x in the classic version)
- In the Lightning version, a straight bet without any lucky numbers pays 29:1 (35:1 in the classic version).
So, here's the thing: although Lightning Roulette only has a 0.20% lower RTP rate for straight bets, it claims to offer a much larger payout potential than classic roulette: if you're lucky enough, you can win 500x instead of 35x. Although the difference is quite large, the RTP rate decreases by only 0.20%: this is reason enough to be suspicious. Using a simple formula, we can easily see how true this claim is.
The real RTP of Lightning Roulette
Below we'll show you how to calculate the actual house edge and RTP values of straight bets using a formula, but if you're unfamiliar with the subject we recommend checking out our two articles first for the basics. We talk about RTP here, house edge here and explain both in detail.
The formula we will use is simply this:
(-loss x odds) + (win x odds)
The result of this calculation will show what the house edge is and using it, we can find out what the RTP is. Let's briefly explain the values in the formula:
- Loss: The amount of the bet you are likely to lose. In this variant, straight bets pay 29:1, so the loss amount must be 1.
- Win: The payout amount you are likely to win. For the reason we explained above, this amount will be 29.
- Loss Odds: This variant uses the European roulette wheel, meaning there are 37 numbers. With a straight bet, you are betting on only one, so your odds of losing are 36/37.
- Win Odds: For the same reason, your odds of winning are 1/37.
Now let's enter these values into our formula:
- (-1*36/37) + (29*1/37)
- -0.9729 + 0.7837
- -0.1892
So, the house edge is 18.92%. By simply subtracting this from 100 we can find out what the RTP rate is: 81.08% (100 - 18.92). Therefore, the real RTP of Lightning Roulette is 81.08%, not 97.10% as claimed.
Conclusions
81.08% is not a bad RTP percentage, but it is not good either. To give you an idea, it is very similar to the RTP rates of keno and bingo games. And, without a doubt, it is worse than the regular RTP rate of the classic European roulette (97.30%). That being said, this does not mean that you should stay away from this game. The selling point of Lightning Roulette is the chance to win 500x – this is still possible. You just need to have more realistic expectations in terms of RTP & house edge rates and consider real values, not claimed ones, when planning your budget.
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